


Boys of Summer

by JillMarie



Category: Supernatural RPF
Genre: J2 Reverse Big Bang Challenge (Supernatural RPF), M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-23
Updated: 2020-11-23
Packaged: 2021-03-10 06:09:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27688745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JillMarie/pseuds/JillMarie
Summary: The one where Jared pines for Jensen, Jensen pines for Jared, and Chad wonders if they’ll ever admit their love. From the prmpt: J2 are friends and lifeguards at a waterpark.
Relationships: Jensen Ackles/Jared Padalecki, Sophia Bush/Chad Michael Murray
Comments: 9
Kudos: 184
Collections: J2 Reverse Bang





	Boys of Summer

Jensen watched Jared swim. Studied how his sleek, long limbs gracefully propel him through the water, making it look effortless. His favorite part was when Jared climbed out of the pool. He envied the water that clung to Jared’s body, making his taut muscles glisten. Jensen spent many nights with his hand wrapped around his dick, picturing Jared in his tiny Speedo, water dripping off him.

Diving practice began immediately after swim team. Jared always stayed for diving practice. Made the excuse that he used it to get his homework done, but that never happened. Instead, he would watch his best friend gracefully execute dive after dive. Jensen was as agile as a gymnast, lean and powerful. He made every dive look easy. Inevitably, after every dive, he’d check the stands, see Jared, and smile.

Jared lived for those smiles. True, Jensen smiled at him a lot; they were best friends. But there was something private about those moments, Jared couldn’t explain it, but they made his heart race.

Michael Rosenbaum’s red windbreaker was stained a darker crimson with the blood that drained from his gaping head wound. Even Tom Welling couldn’t help him now since the zombie horde had gotten to him first. Jared dragged Jensen into the supply room and barricaded the door. “We’re going to have to wait it out in here,” Jared told him.

“How will we ever pass the time?” Jensen asked, pinning him to the wall and kissing him. He tugged at Jared’s shorts, working them past his hip.

“Dude,” Chad whispered, “raise your hand.”

Jared blinked out of his zombie fantasy and into the orientation room. He looked around, saw that both Jensen and Chad had their hands up, so he raised his too. 

“Perfect,” Micheal said when he counted Jared’s hand. “That takes care of swimming lessons. Your schedules will be posted tomorrow. If there are any issues the first week, come see me or Tom. After that, you have to give us at least a week’s notice if you want time off. Or make a switch amongst yourselves. Just remember the shift assigned to you is your responsibility.”

Everyone in the room grumbled their understanding. “Okay, cool. See you bright Saturday morning. And remember, this Monday being Memorial Day means we’re open regular business hours. Regular Monday schedules start after that.”

“What’s a regular Monday schedule?” Travis Wester asked, and Micheal looked like he was going to snap the kid in half.

“We’re closed Mondays for maintenance and swimming lessons,” Tom answered, putting his hand on Rosebaum’s arm and pulling him back. “Be here Saturday at nine. The park opens at ten. Any questions?” He didn’t wait for any before saying, “Good. Get out of here.”

“I hope they assign me and Sophia to the same slide. That would be sweet,” Chad mused as he watched Sophie, Hillarie, and Danneel walk through the parking lot.

“They won’t,” Jensen said, deflating Chad immediately. “They don’t put girls and guys together because they are afraid they’ll flirt and not pay attention to the patrons.”

Chad groaned. “Man, I took this job so I could see her in a swimsuit every day.” 

“You’ll still see her. And this way, you have less of a chance to look like an idiot.” Jared grinned at him and got a chuckle out of Jensen.

“Fuck you,” Chad said, shoving Jared’s arm. “At least I didn’t fall asleep in orientation.”

“I wasn’t sleeping,” Jared replied. “But I was bored out of my mind. So I pretended the zombie apocalypse was happening, and the horde got to Welling and Rosie.”

“Nice,” Jensen said. “Did I survive?”

“Yeah, we hid in the supply room.”

“Cool.”

Chad stopped walking and stared at them, shaking his head. They were so fucking obvious. Or were they oblivious? Chad didn’t know which word fit them better. What he did know was his best friend, Jared, had it bad for his other best friend, Jensen, and neither seemed ready to do anything about it. “Hey, I’ll catch you guys later. I’m going to hit Game Stop on my way home.”

“Wait, let me get my shit from your car,” Jared said, then turned to Jensen. “You can take me home, right?”

“Not a problem. Later, Chad.” Jensen kept walking towards his car, where he’d wait for Jared.

“Yeah, later.”

“What gives, man? I thought you were coming over after orientation,” Jared asked as he grabbed his backpack from Chad’s car.

“Yeah, but I got a text my game came in, so,” Chad shrugged.

“So, a game is more important than hanging with me?” Jared tried to act affronted, but his grin gave him away.

“Yeah. No shit. I’ll see ya later. Don’t keep Jen waiting. He hates that.”

Jared jogged to where Jensen waited in his car, threw his bag in the back seat, and climbed in. “Hey what happened after we hid in the closet?” Jensen asked, going right back to the discussion of Jared’s daydream.

“You blew me,” Jared answered as nonchalantly as he could. 

Jensen coughed. “Fuck you. If anything, you’d blow me.”

Jared laughed. “Hey it’s my fantasy. You can’t tell me what’s going to happen.”

“So your fantasy is for me to blow you while we hide in a closet and zombies kill everyone?!”

“You were thanking me for saving your ass.”

* * *

  
  


Jensen opened the schedule on his phone and cursed under his breath. They partnered him with Travis Wester and not Jared. However, he was assigned to one of the bigger slides, which meant he would be busy. But the whole point of getting Jared the job at Olympic Water Park was so they would work together. He scanned the rest of the schedule and saw that Chad was partnered with Michael Rosenbaum, and Jared worked a completely different shift. The schedule sucked ass. And if it stayed that way, he’d never see Jared. First thing next week, he’d talk to Rosey about changing the schedule.

At one time, Olympic Water Park was just a swimming pool with a high dive where Olympic hopefuls went to train. However, as the water park trend grew, the park owners capitalized on it. They turned the training center into a series of slides and lazy river rides. Sure, it still had the Olympic size pool and diving platforms, but the slides named after Greek myths brought the crowds. 

Saturdays at the waterpark were the busiest days of the week. Patrons baked in the snaking stanchions for every slide and food vendor. Parents dealt with cranky children tired of waiting for the fifteen-second thrill of a water slide. 

Jensen stood atop the twin slides, Scylla and Charybdis, and wondered if the owners realized they named them after death traps that drowned their victims.

“Step up, wait, go.”

“Step up, wait, go.”

“Step up, wait, go.”

Five minutes into the day and Jensen thought he must have said that phrase a hundred times.

“Step up, wait, go.”

Travis looked at him. “What’s with this music?”

“Step up, wait, go.” Jensen listened to a couple notes of Def Leppard. “Rosie wanted Saturday to be classic rock day since there are so many dads here,” he explained.

“Step up, wait, go.” Travis glanced about and counted ten dads in their line. “Does that mean better music this year? Step up, wait, go.”

Jensen shrugged. “Rosie’s in charge, but he can only do so much. Step up, wait, go. It’ll still be on a repeating loop.”

Travis rolled his eyes. “Great. Step up, wait, go. I think I memorized them last year. At least classic rock will give me a challenge for today.”

Jensen grinned. “Step up, wait, go. Yeah. I wonder how many times we’ll hear: Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen.”

A man with a mullet whooped in Jensen’s face. Then, as he began his slide, he yelled, “It’s better to burn out than fade away!”

Travis and Jensen exchanged looks and broke into laughter. 

* * *

They heard the song three times by the time Matt Cohen and Jake Abel took over their shift. Jensen had to admit that Travis was a decent partner. But he wasn’t Jared. As he walked down the three flights of stairs, Jensen decided the park was too crowded for him to stay and swim or practice his dives. 

Walking back to the staff locker room, Travis nudged Jensen and pointed at the lifeguard working the end of the lazy river. “Looks like Padalecki drew the short straw.”

The lazy river was the worst assignment. Adults were always intoxicated, teenagers repeatedly tried groping each other, and kids ran wild and unsupervised. 

Jensen instantly felt a pang of guilt. Jared would hate the job by the end of the day and probably want to quit. Jensen had to get that shift change, not just for him, but for Jared, too.

Jensen changed into his street clothes and headed to the office, trying to think of acceptable reasons for the change he wanted. 

Tom Welling met him at the office door. “Thank god, Ackles. You gotta help me.”

Surprised, Jensen stammered, “Sure, Tom.”

“I gotta get your friend, Chad, away from Rosenbaum, which means I’ve got to tweak the entire schedule. Can you stay a bit and help me figure it out?”

Jensen tried to look like he was doing Tom a favor, even though he was dying to help. “Sure, I guess.”

“Thanks man, I owe you.” Tom shut the door and printed out copies of the schedule. 

“What seems to be the problem?” Jensen asked as he looked for ways to get Jared scheduled with him.

“They are like evil twins or something. I didn’t think anyone could be as immature as Rosey, but Chad gives him a run for his money. I will go nuts if they work together again.”

Jensen nodded. “Okay, we can’t have that.” He studied the printout and thought he found a fix that wouldn’t seem like he was trying to be with Jared. “Well, since you have to have a rookie paired with a veteran lifeguard, you could put Chad with Matt Cohen and Jake with Travis.”

“Yeah, that would work, but then I’d have to move you to the afternoon. Are you okay with that?”

Jensen made a face like he wasn’t sure about the change. “Where will I go?” 

“The splash pad is the only place with an opening, but I can’t have a third-year like you down there.” Tom studied the schedule, and Jensen crossed his fingers. “Do you think Padalecki can handle the Trident?”

The Trident was the park’s biggest slide and always the busiest. “Yeah, no problem.”

Tom looked relieved. “Okay, how’s this sound? You and Padalecki take over for Justin and me on the Trident’s afternoon shift. And I’ll put Rosey with Kristen on the main pool.”

Jensen was about to remind Tom of the no couple law but caught himself. Tom knew the rule, and maybe, just maybe, this was all a ruse to get Mike and Kristen together. Either way, Jensen was getting the shift change he wanted. “Sounds good, man. Is this effective starting tomorrow?” 

“Yeah. The sooner, the better.” Tom started typing the new schedule on the computer. “I hope no one bitches about it.”

“Well, keep Travis on the morning shift. He helps his dad in the afternoons, and I know Cohen likes to sleep in.”

Tom nodded. “Okay. I’ll put Chad and Matt in the afternoon and Travis and Jake in the morning. Thanks.” 

Jensen couldn’t wait to tell Jared about the change. Even though Jared couldn’t have his phone poolside, Jensen texted him the update. Jensen knew it would be welcome news after working the lazy river on the busy opening day.

It was after nine when Jared called instead of texted. “Dude, if I hadn’t seen that text, I woulda straight up quit.”

“I know,” Jensen replied, his voice full of sympathy. “I don’t know how you got stuck on lazy river duty.”

“It sucked ass. I practically got into it with some fat fifty-year-old fuck who was too lazy to get off his raft and wanted his kid to get him his beer.” 

“I thought I’d hear from you earlier. What time did you get off work?”

“I stopped at the Sweet Shack before leaving. I needed something to help me get over my shitty day. How did you get our shifts changed?”

“I’m just cool like that.”

Jared laughed. “No, seriously, thanks, man. I couldn’t take another day like today.”

“Well, I think either Chad really got on Welling’s nerves, or Rosenbaum wanted to work with Kristen. The only way they could get it to work was overhauling the entire schedule,” Jensen confessed. “The Trident is gonna be fun. Bunch of scared kids we can mess with.”

“You are so mean. I love it,” Jared laughed. “I’ll swing by after I pick Chad up tomorrow.”

* * *

The next day Chad jumped out of the car when they arrived at Jensen’s and relinquished the front seat. “Jensen! Take shotgun as thanks for getting us the better shift. Sleeping in all summer is gonna rule. Let me love you.” He made a kissy face and reached out for Jensen. 

Jensen ducked away. “Dude, no. Keep your diseased mouth away from me.”

Chad cackled and climbed into the backseat. 

Jensen hated the late shift. Sure, sleeping in was great, but customers became assholes as the heat and waiting, and the alcohol got to them. Then there were closing duties like reporting numbers and collecting trash. The early shift was just easier. But, if he wanted to work with Jared, it would have to be the late shift.

* * *

In the locker room, Jensen noticed Jared staring at him. “What?”

Jared froze for a minute, blushing slightly. “That’s a lot of sunscreen, is all. And what’s the deal with the windbreaker.”

Jensen rolled his eyes at the sunscreen comment. They had teased him about his freckles his whole life. But the windbreaker was something he should explain to Jared. “It gets cold at the top of the slides. I’m not freezin’ my nuts off. You should grab yours, too.”

Jared’s eyebrows shot up. “It’s like a hundred degrees out. I don’t think I’ll get cold.”

“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.” Jensen smirked and led the way to the Trident.

* * *

Sunday afternoon on a holiday weekend was just as busy as Saturday. Michael Rosenbaum decided that the playlist should still be classics of hair metal. However, he added some Southern rock and Bob Marley for variety.

After three hours, Jensen nearly had the playlist memorized. He turned to Jared, pointed, and said, “And now a little Thirty Eight Special.” Then he sang, “You see it all around you, good lovin’ gone bad.”

“Step up, wait, go.” 

Jared laughed and tried to sing the next line but didn’t know it. Jensen shook his head and said, “You gotta do better, man. I expect more from my work partner.”

“Step up, wait, go.” 

“Well, when Marley comes on, I’ll sing every word,” Jared replied. “Step up, wait, go. Seriously, though, he doesn’t play these oldies every day, does he?”

“No. Last year, every day had a different theme. Step up, wait, go. Like 80s day and grunge day or pop from the early 2000s. But he never puts it all on shuffle, so each day it’s the same songs over and over.”

An hour later, Jared understood why Jensen wanted the windbreaker. The sun moved across the sky, leaving them in complete shadow at the top of the Trident. Five stories up, nothing blocked the wind or the constant spray of water. He was freezing. He never saw Jensen use the radio, but Genevieve Cortese came up the exit stairs carrying a windbreaker for him. “I know your break is in half an hour, but Jensen said you were freezing your nuts off,” she said with a cute smile that told him she enjoyed her little joke too much.

“Thanks.” Jared tugged the jacket from her outstretched hand. “Don’t talk about my nuts. It makes me uncomfortable.”

Genevieve blanched. “Sorry. I didn’t mean anything. I was just teasing.” Jared grinned, and she knew she’d been played. “You know I did just walk up five flights for you.”

“And I thank you from the bottom of my frozen nuts.”

Jensen watched them from across the small platform as he repeated, “Step up, wait, go.” Their easy banter made him uncomfortable. He wanted to puke when Genevieve gave Jared a little finger wave before she left.

Jared looked over at Jensen and rolled his eyes. “Isn’t she with that Misha guy? Why is she sweatin’ me?”

Jensen shrugged and stepped aside for some kids. “Step up, wait, go. I don’t know who Cortese’s dating, sorry.”

Jared grinned. “Yeah, well, I don’t know where I’m goin’, but I sure know where I’ve been.”

Jensen looked confused for a second until he heard the music. Amused that Jared finally got a lyric right, Jensen asked, “Will you walk along the lonely street of dreams?”

Then they both grinned and sung out at the top of their lungs, “Here I go again on my own! Goin’ down the only road I’ve ever known!”

The patrons in line looked at the boys like they had spent too much time in the sun and fried their last brain cell, but Jared and Jensen were laughing too hard to care.

* * *

They were still in such high spirits at the end of their shift that Chad was instantly annoyed. “Glad you two are so fucking chipper. I bet you didn’t have to deal with two pukers and an ugly old fat lady grabbing your ass.”

Jensen made a sympathetic face. “Oh, man, that sucks.”

Jared shuddered. “I couldn’t handle someone throwing up. I’d start puking if I had to clean up someone else’s vomit. I swear to god.”

“The only good thing was Danneel and Sophia. When I told them about the old lady, they were so mad that they wanted to have her kicked out. They said that if a guy did that to them, he’d be exiled from the park.”

“So why didn’t you kick her out?” Jensen asked.

They were at Jared’s car in the nearly deserted employee lot. Chad shrugged. “I don’t know. I felt sorry for her, I guess. She had a bunch of little brats with her.”

“Hey guys! Wait up!”

They turned and saw Genevieve and Danneel hurrying to catch up with them. “So like, I’m having a party next weekend, and y’all should come,” Genevieve said while staring up at Jared.

Danneel fixed her gaze on Jensen. “I’ll be there and,” she turned to Chad, “Sophia wanted us to tell you she’ll be there. So you guys should definitely come.” 

“Yeah, sure, we’ll be there,” Chad assured the girls, who then left them in a cloud of nervous giggles.

Jensen frowned as Jared watched the girls walk away. Chad looked like a lottery winner. “Jensen, have I thanked you for getting me this job? Because if I haven’t, thank you. A million times, thank you.”

“Even after the day you just had?” Jensen asked. “Take shotgun, man. You deserve it.” In the dark backseat, Jensen fumed over the attention Genevieve gave Jared. 

* * *

Chad was like a kid on a sugar high the day of the party. Jensen was relieved he didn’t have to work with him. Jared hadn’t mentioned the party as much, but Jensen knew he was going. “Can I crash at your place tonight? If I tell my mom I’m at your place, she won’t worry about me,” he asked Jensen when they were on their lunch break. 

“Yeah, duh, why wouldn’t you stay at mine?”

“Chad’s hoping to stay at Genevieve’s. He heard Sophia was sleeping over. So, in his pathetic attempt at getting with her, he’s sleeping over, too.”

Jensen looked confused at Jared’s answer but shrugged it off. “Dani asked me to pick up a couple bottles of Goldschläger.” He involuntarily shuddered. “I hate that shit.”

“Yeah, because you puked last time you had it.” Jared laughed. “I asked Jeff to get me a bottle of Jack. You can split that with me.”

“Oh, lucky me, thanks, Jared,” Jensen said in such a deadpan manner that Jared laughed again. 

“Even Welling and Rosie are going,” Jared said. “I think she invited everyone that works here.”

Jensen looked at the clock. “Come on. We better get back to work.”

* * *

It was true. Genevieve invited everyone to her party. It seemed like everyone that was eighteen and older in their town was crowded into her house and backyard. Jensen figured it was her pathetic attempt to become popular for her senior year of high school.

When they arrived, Jensen handed the bottles of Goldschläger to Danneel, and she squealed with joy. Then she wrapped her arms around him and kissed his cheek. “Yeah, you’re welcome,” he said, wiping her lip gloss off his face. 

Genevieve latched on to Jared’s arm and tried to get the bottle of Jack Daniels from him, but he wasn’t giving it up. “Uh-uh, you guys should stick to your girlie drinks. This JD is for us men to drink.” Jared practically yanked his arm free from her while he slung his other arm around Jensen. 

Jensen reached across and opened the bottle. Jared lifted the bottle to his lips and drank and then gave it to Jensen. 

“Ladies,” Jensen said as a salute. He raised a brow before taking a swig from the bottle. 

Genevieve rolled her eyes in mock annoyance. “If you _boys_ want beer with your Jack, the keg’s out back.”

With his arm still around Jensen’s shoulders, Jared gave her a deferential bow before announcing, “To the beer!” He gently shoved Jensen forward and followed him to the backyard.

Jared filled two red solo cups and handed one to Jensen. At least twenty people gathered in the backyard. Some were playing spikeball, others were playing with a giant Jenga set, but most were just drinking and talking. 

After checking out the crowd, Jensen said, “Dang, your girlfriend sure has a lot of friends.”

“She’s not my girlfriend.”

“Whatever you say, Jare.” Jensen took a sip. “She sure wants to be.”

“Do you blame her? My momma says I’m a gift.”

Jensen snorted, a retort on his lips when he heard his name from a booming voice that came from somewhere behind them.

Jensen looked at Jared and whispered, “Kill me now.”

Stephen Amell strode up like he owned the place. “Hey, kid. Heard SMU recruited you. Nice job. Is that where you’re going?”

“No. A&M. They offered a better scholarship.”

As if he was well versed in all athletics, Amell nodded smugly. “Good program. Without me on the roster, maybe you won’t be warming the bench.”

Jensen soured, feeling bile rise in his throat. Jared looked from Jensen to Stephan and grinned. “Jensen, didn’t you score a 9 and a 10 in your last meet?”

Jensen smirked at his best friend. “Yes, I did, Jared. Thank you for remembering.”

“Oh, no problem.” Jared turned to Stephan. “Stephan, wasn’t your highest score, in your entire high school career, only an 8?” 

Stephan rolled his eyes and walked away as Jared and Jensen laughed. Jensen turned to Jared and smiled in appreciation. “Thanks. I hate that guy. He is so annoying. Always acts so superior.”

“Forget about him.” Jared slapped him on the shoulder. “Let’s find Chad and get drunk.”

They found Chad, with a half-full solo cup, dancing between Sophia and Danneel. When he saw them, he sashayed over and threw his arms around them before kissing their cheeks. “You guys are the best! I love you! Come dance with me!” He spun around and went back into the mob of people.

Jensen instantly sobered. “What the fuck? Is he rollin’?”

“He was pretty nervous about Sophia,” Jared said, shrugging as he watched Chad grind against Sophia. He handed Jensen the Jack and joined the others on the impromptu dance floor. Jensen took another swig from the bottle and considered going for another beer when Jared grabbed his arm. “Oh no, brother, you are shaking that ass with us. No running away. ’Cause when I say dance -” Jared grinned as he waited for Jensen to finish the lyric.

“You best dance, motherfucker,” Jensen replied, grinning maniacally. 

They danced with Chad and the girls until they were dripping with sweat and needed beer for sustenance as much as to cool down. 

Even though it was summer in Texas, the air felt cooler when they went outside. Jensen grabbed a towel from a chair by the pool and tossed it to Jared so he could mop the sweat from his face and neck. They collapsed on an open patch of grass in Genevieve’s backyard. Danneel and Sophia joined them, carrying beers for each of them. “The second keg is nearly tapped out,” Sophia announced as she joined them on the grass. 

“I happen to know the location of a secret stash,” Chad told her, grinning deviously.

“What? Where?” Jared demanded, sitting up and leaning in close.

“It’s not a secret if I tell _you_ ,” Chad explained. He winked at Sophia. “You, on the other hand, I’ll tell you all my secrets.”

Jared and Jensen exchanged unamused eye rolls. Danneel swayed into Jared to get his attention. “You know, if you ask Gen, she’ll let you drink from her daddy’s liquor cabinet.”

“Really? Why’s that?” Jared asked.

“’Cause she likes you, you idiot. I think she’s applying to UT because of you,” Danneel explained.

Jared stared at her in disbelief, but Jensen bristled at the idea. He hated the reminder that Jared would be at a different school next year. 

“Yeah, Jared,” Jensen began hoping he didn’t sound as jealous as he felt. “So are you going to get your flirt on and get us some more booze?”

Jared made a face. “No. I Don’t want to lead the poor girl on. Besides, we still have some Jack left, and Chad’s stash is in the cooler in his trunk.”

“Hey!” Chad gasped indignantly, making Jensen and Danneel giggle. 

“I could go for a smoke,” Sophia said à propos of nothing. “Anyone got any weed?”

Danneel pulled a joint from her bag and handed it to her. “I gotcha, girl.” 

They passed the joint around, letting it mellow them. Jared watched as Jensen sucked in a breath before exhaling a ring of smoke. He closed his eyes to burn the sight into his memory and to stop himself from crawling onto his best friend’s lap to suck the smoke from his mouth. 

Jensen got up. “I’m starving. She got any food here?”

“Yeah, me too.” Jared looked around and then reached up for Jensen to help him to his feet. “Let’s get out of here and get some actual food.”

For a moment, it seemed the party disappeared, leaving just the two of them. “You sure? What about Gen?” Jensen asked, hating himself for pushing Jared in her direction and being too scared to take what he wanted. 

“Fuck Gen,” Jared joked, then immediately added, “No, don’t. Definitely don’t fuck her. But she should put out food if she wants people to stay at her party.” He stepped over Chad and Sophia, nearly falling. “Let’s get some Taco Bell.”

They got to Jensen’s car before they realized they were too drunk to drive. “I’ve got a great idea,” Jared said. “Let’s walk to your house. By the time we get there, we’ll be sober enough to drive.”

“But my car is here,” Jensen argued.

“Yeah, but my car is at your house, so we can take it to go get food.”

“Right. Good plan.”

Jared paused, “Do you want to stay with Dani?”

“No. You know I don’t like her like that. She’s nice and all, but she’s not what I want.”

Suddenly Jared lit up with an idea. “Wait here. I’ll be right back.” He ran back towards the house, leaving Jensen alone in the dark. 

Jensen leaned against the car and pouted. What the fuck was Jared doing? Why was he going back to the house? 

A moment later, Jared came jogging up to him with a six-pack in his hands. “Grabbed it from Chad’s trunk,” he said, giggling. He pulled one from the plastic holder. “Roadie?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Jensen replied, popping it open and taking a satisfying swallow. A pang of remorse made him ask, “This wasn’t his entire stash, was it?”

Jared shook his head. “No. His cooler was filled like he knew I was gonna take some.”

“Knowing Chad, he probably did.”

By the time they got to Jensen’s they were far from the sober they had planned on. Instead of driving to Taco Bell, they opted for raiding Jensen’s mom’s fridge for leftovers. Overjoyed to discover fried chicken and pie, they took their findings to Jensen’s pool house. 

Stomach full, Jensen leaned back against the rattan couch. This is what he wanted, what he always wanted, time alone with Jared. These were always the best times. Even if they didn’t talk, just being with Jared made Jensen feel content. Well, almost content. He wished he could tell Jared once and for all that he was in love with him. That Jared was the only person in the world that mattered to him. But why fuck up a friendship when there were only weeks before college would separate them? 

Jensen pulled a joint from the back pocket of his jeans. He lit it and took a drag before handing it to Jared. “Dude, where did you get that?” Jared asked, taking it and lifting it gingerly to his lips.

Jensen was too mesmerized by the action to speak. Jared had such long perfect fingers, and when his lips puckered around the joint, Jensen could feel it in his groin. As Jared handed it back, Jensen replied, “Nicked it from Dani’s bag.”

They sat and smoked until Jared broke the silence. “Promise we’ll still be friends next year. I mean, just because we’re going to different schools doesn’t mean we won’t still be us and be best friends, right? You won’t be that far away.”

Uh-oh, Jensen thought. Maudlin drunk Jared was making an appearance. “Sure, man, we’ll still be friends.”

“Good. Cuz I love you, man, and I gotta have you in my life.”

“I love you too, Jare,” Jensen assured him.

“No. No, don’t just say that,” Jared pleaded, turning to face Jensen. “Cuz, I mean it. I love you so fuckin’ much it’s stupid how much I love you.” He stared at Jensen glassy-eyed before laying down next to him. “I’m serious.”

Jensen watched him get comfortable on the floor. If only Jared wasn’t so drunk. If Jared would say that when he’s sober, Jensen would risk it. He’d grab him and kiss him and show him just how much he loved him. But Jared’s drunk off his ass and high. He nearly passed out. Jensen sighed and kissed the top of Jared’s head. “I love you too, Jared. More than you know.”

* * *

  
  


Monday meant swimming lessons. Jensen warned Jared that it could get overwhelming trying to teach four-year-olds to swim. “Don’t do too much. Have them put their faces in the water and blow bubbles. They love that. But remember, one of them inevitably will inhale and start coughing. Stay calm and help them through it, or you will have a cry fest on your hands.”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. I read over the directions Welling handed out. Are you practicing your dives after?”

“Yeah. What about you? Are you staying?” Jensen asked, admiring the breadth of Jared’s shoulders from behind his back.

“Plannin’ on it. I figure I can do some laps while I wait for your pretty ass.”

Jensen smiled and fluttered his eyelashes. “Aw, you think I’m pretty.”

“Your ass is pretty,” Jared corrected as he walked by Jensen and slapped the ass he was describing.

A dozen mothers and nannies gathered next to the pool with their children. A couple of the nannies nudged each other when Jared and Jensen approached. Cindy Sampson, the mother of one of the six-year-olds, whispered to her friend then called, “Hello, Jensen!” Several of the ladies turned their attention to him and waved.

“Hello, Mrs. Sampson. Good to see you again,” Jensen said, smiling though he felt like a gazelle amongst hungry lionesses. “Good morning, ladies.”

“Good morning, Jensen.”

Jared leaned close to Jensen and whispered, “Dude, they all look like they want to fuck you.”

Jensen smirked at him. “Not just me, buddy. They are checking you out just as much.”

The boys each took their group and went through all the first day rules and practices. After two hours of lessons, they had the day to themselves. 

This was Jensen’s favorite thing about working at the water park. While safety and maintenance worked on the slides, the dive pool and lap pool were only open for the staff. Only a handful of staff would take advantage of the pool. Jensen could practice his dives without the pressure of an audience. 

He climbed the ten-meter tower and gazed out over the pools. He loved being at the top of the tower. He liked to start slowly, with a forward dive and maybe a pike. But by the third dive, he was doing reverse somersaults.

From the ground, Chad and Jared watched Jensen break the water with barely a splash. “Damn, he makes that look easy,” Chad said after Jensen perfectly executed a triple backward somersault.

“He makes it look fun,” Jared said as he headed to the dive platform. 

Jared climbed to the top and looked down. The pool seemed a million miles away. “Oh, hell no,” he said to himself and climbed back down. He didn’t care if Chad laughed at him. It was certain death to dive from that height.

“What are you doing?” Jensen demanded from the stairs at the seven-meter platform.

“I’m climbing down. That is way too scary for me,” Jared admitted with a chuckle. 

Jensen shook his head, amused, but grateful Jared wasn’t stupid enough to dive from the top. “You should stick to the springboard. The tall one is three meters, and you can get some good height off of it.”

Jared nodded and watched Jensen climb to the top, grateful his friend didn’t tease him for his cowardice. 

Chad was a different story.

“What was that? You chicken out?”

“Hell, yes. Have you ever been up there?” Jared demanded, defending himself.

“No, but I wouldn’t walk back down either. You could have at least tried one from the five-meter.”

Jared turned and looked. “I’m going to start on the springboard and work my way up to the five.”

After a couple cannonballs and a double somersault, Jared felt ready for the five-meter platform. As he climbed, he watched Jensen execute another perfect inward dive with two-and-a-half somersaults. Jared wouldn’t try that. But he knew he could make Jensen laugh if he tried a backward dive with a twist.

Jensen climbed from the pool and, as he always did, looked for Jared. But he couldn’t find him. Then, seeing someone else on the high dive platform, Jensen paused. “What the fuck is he doing?” he muttered to himself, watching Jared step onto the five-meter deck.

The second Jared made the leap, Jensen knew his friend had failed to compensate for the lack of spring. Jared didn’t have the distance to clear the platform. The back of his head cracked the platform, and he crumpled into the water below.

“Call 911!” Jensen shouted to Sophia and Danneel, who were tanning nearby. Then he dove into the water after his best friend. 

On the opposite side of the pool, Chad saw what happened and also dove in. Together, they dragged Jared to the edge. Chad climbed out and helped Jensen lift an unconscious Jared from the pool. 

“Get towels!” Chad barked to the girls as he and Jensen laid Jared flat. 

Jensen checked for breathing but didn’t see any. He did two rescue breaths, but Jared didn’t respond. Chad put a folded towel under Jared’s head, where it was torn open and bleeding. Jensen started CPR. After what felt like hours but was only a minute, Jared coughed. Jensen put his head on Jared’s chest and heard a heartbeat. Trembling in relief, he fell back.

“Get more towels,” Chad yelled to the girls who were standing nearby, crying. Chad put his hand on Jensen’s shoulder to reassure him. “He’s going to be okay.” He took the towels from the girls and draped one over Jared and the other over Jensen. 

Minutes later, paramedics arrived. They assessed Jared’s injuries and asked what happened. Unable to speak, Jensen could only stare as Chad and Sophia explained what happened. As they loaded the breathing but still unconscious Jared onto the gurney, Jensen puked into a trash barrel. 

He tried to climb into the back of the ambulance to be with Jared on the trip to the hospital, but Tom Welling stopped him. “No, Ackles. I’ve got this. You and the others need to fill out incident reports.” 

The moment the paramedics pulled away, he glanced at Chad. “What was he doing up there?”

Chad shrugged. “I don’t know, man. You make it look easy. I think he probably thought he could do it, too.” Chad put his arm around Jensen’s shoulder. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up. You’ve got his blood all over you.”

Jensen looked down at Jared’s blood dripping down his chest and puked again.

Mike Rosenbaum had everyone there fill out a report, but Jensen couldn’t stop shaking long enough to write. “It’s the adrenalin, man. It happens,” Mike assured him. “You did good. You and Chad both did, but this is a big deal. You should take a couple days off, okay?”

Jensen nodded, but he was barely listening. In his head, he was working out what to say to Jared’s mom. 

Chad was waiting for him outside the office. “Come on, I’ll drive us to the hospital. I’m sure Jared is all bandaged up by now.” Still, in an emotional daze, Jensen let Chad lead him to the parking lot.

“I’ll drive.” Chad turned to see Sophia and Danneel waiting for them. “You guys are in no condition to be behind the wheel,” Sophia said, nodding her head toward her car.

Chad gave her a small smile of gratitude as he and Jensen piled into her car.

* * *

“Boys!” Despite her own worried tears, Mrs. Padalecki wrapped her arms around Chad and Jensen the moment she saw them. “What happened?”

“He hit his head on the high dive,” Chad explained.

Jensen shook his head. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. P. It’s my fault. I was diving off the high dive, and next thing I know, Jared is too, and I--”

“Oh, hun, it’s not your fault,” Jared’s mom said, squeezing his arm. “The man from the park said, you and Chad saved his life.” She hugged them both again. “What would I have done without you?”

A nurse entered the small waiting room. “Mrs. Padalecki? You can see him now.”

Jared’s mom wiped her eyes. “Okay. Come on, guys, let’s get it together. We can’t let him see us looking all weepy, we’ll never hear the end of it.” She forced a smile as she looked from Chad to Jensen. Chad smiled, but Jensen still looked pale. She cupped Jensen’s cheek in her hand. “He’s going to be just fine, Jen.” She faced the nurse. “Alright, we’re ready.”

“Uh, family only,” he said, looking at Chad and Jensen.

“We are family,” she explained. “They’re his brothers.”

The nurse raised a brow in doubt but decided not to argue. “Okay. Right this way.” At the door to Jared’s room, he stopped. “Why don’t you boys let your momma talk to him and the doctors, and then y’all can see him together?” 

  
  


Jensen and Chad paced the hall as they waited. “Hey, you know he’s going to be fine, right?” Chad gripped Jensen’s shoulder to make him look at him. “And it wasn’t your fault. So get that thought out of your head. It was an accident.”

Jensen nodded. He appreciated Chad’s words, but they didn’t wash away his guilt. He needed to see Jared for himself if he was going to believe his friend would be alright.

Thankfully, Mrs. Padalecki opened the door. “Come on in, boys.” She let Chad by and held Jensen’s arm for a moment. When he met her eye, she smiled and said, “You know his head’s too hard for him to be really hurt. He’s okay, Jensen. Just a little dizzy.”

He nodded, went into Jared’s room, and could finally breathe again. In the moment that Chad was in the room, he said something that made Jared laugh. That sound was all Jensen needed. It lifted a crushing weight off him. If Jared was laughing—Jared was fine.

Jared looked up from the bed at him. “Hey.”

“Hey.”

“So, my mom says the two of you saved my life.” Jared glanced at Chad before his eyes rested on Jensen.

Chad clapped Jensen on the shoulder. “This guy did all the work. All I did was help him drag your heavy ass out of the water. Jensen did CPR.”

“You did?” Jared and his mom asked simultaneously.

Jensen shrugged. “Yeah, I mean, I can’t let you die on my watch. You’d probably haunt the waterpark and ruin it for everyone.” 

Jared nodded. “Yeah, sounds like something I’d do.”

“You should also leave the high dive to the experts,” Chad said. 

“Alright boys, you’ve seen that his thick skull protected his wee brain,” Mrs. Padalecki scolded playfully. “But, we’ve got to let Jared get some rest. The doctor said they’re keeping him overnight for observation, so you can come over tomorrow to monitor him.”

* * *

  
  


Tuesday morning, Jared called Jensen. “Hey, I’m home, and I’m bored. Come over.”

“You sure? Don’t you have to rest?”

“I’m sure. I rested enough yesterday. I can’t go to work until my stitches are out. And I know today is your day off.”

Trying to sound like he was put out and doing Jared a colossal favor, Jensen groaned, “Fine, I come over.”

“Don’t be such a Cameron Frye and get your ass over here.”

Jared opened the door and threw his arms around Jensen. “My hero!”

Jensen didn’t hug him back. Instead, he acted unamused. “You done?”

Jared squeezed him a little tighter. “Almost.”

Jensen pried Jared’s arms off him. “Seriously, dude, let go.”

“Alright, just trying to say thanks.”

Jensen nodded and moved past Jared into the house. “Where is everybody?”

“Folks are at work, and my sister’s still at camp.”

Jensen spun to face him, suddenly serious. “Dude, if you ever do that to me again.”

“Yeah, I know. It was stupid. I shouldn’t try to dive like you.”

“No, Jared. You shouldn’t die in front of me. Or at all.” 

Surprised by Jensen’s solemnity, Jared nodded. “Okay.”

“I’m serious. You scared the shit out of me.”

“Okay.” Jared stared wide-eyed as his best friend became more emotional.

“What would I do if you died? If I lost you…” Jensen’s voice broke. He sniffed and looked away to hide the tears he felt forming.

“Jen, I’m sorry,” Jared said meekly.

Jensen shook his head, feeling foolish for his emotions. “No. I’m sorry. I was just really scared, you know.” He wiped his eyes. 

Jared took Jensen’s hand and led him to the couch where they sat down. “Yeah, I get that. ’Cause dying would suck.”

Jensen chuckled. “Yeah, it would.”

But instead of joining in the laugh, Jared was quiet. “It would suck because then I could never tell you how I feel.” He took a breath and looked straight at Jensen. “I’m in love with you.”

“What?”

“Look, it’s not some hero thing. It’s not because you saved my life. I’ve been in love with you forever, and nearly dying made me realize life is short, and I should tell you how I feel before it’s too late.”

Jensen sat back against the couch while his mind swam. “You love me. Like in love with me not like ‘love ya, man’.”

Jared nodded. “Yeah. Like the kind of love where I think about you all the time and wonder what it would be like to kiss you.”

Jensen’s eyes grew wide. “You want to kiss me?”

“Yeah. It totally sucks that I was dead for our first kiss,” Jared said, hoping to make Jensen smile. It didn’t have that effect. Instead of smiling, Jensen seemed to be retreating into himself. Jared sighed. “I get it. It’s like you and Danneel. You don’t like me like that. You don’t feel the same, and that’s fine,” Jared said, hoping to convince himself as much as Jensen. “I just needed you to know. In case I die or whatever.” He moved to stand, but Jensen grabbed his arm. 

“Wait. It’s my turn.” Jensen waited until Jared looked at him. “Why do you think I got so messed up yesterday? You almost died. I almost lost the most important person in my life. And he would have died not knowing that I was, am, in love with him.”

“Really?”

Jensen nodded. “Have been for a while now. Feels like forever.”

“So this is good, right?” Jared said, a smile blooming on his face, mirroring the one Jensen wore.

Jensen nodded. “Yeah, it’s good.” He inched closer and gently cupped Jared’s cheek before touching his lips to Jared’s. 

Their happiness forced laughter into their kisses. “I can’t believe this,” Jared confessed pressing his forehead against Jesnen’s. “I have wanted this for so long and it’s actually happening.”

“Yeah, me too. I was so scared you’d hate me,” Jensen whispered. He laid another kiss on Jared’s lips before leaning back. “What are we going to do? It’s not like we can date. Can you imagine what our dad’s will do when they find out?”

Jared didn’t want to poison the moment with negative thoughts. “No one has to know. We don’t have to change anything we’re doing, except when we’re in private.” He smoothed a hand over Jensen’s hair and kissed his forehead. Then he stood and held out his hand for Jensen to take. “When we’re alone, like we are now, you’re my boyfriend and we can kiss and touch as much as we want.”

Jensen took his hand and stood up, smiling at him. “I like the sound of that.”

“Good.” Jared kissed him. “Next fall, when we’re in college, we can be out and there’s nothing they can do about it.”

“But we won’t be at the same school,” Jesnen whined.

“You’re only a hundred miles away. Less than two hours. We can spend practically every weekend together. With no parents and no one to stop us.”

Jensen huffed a quiet laugh in relief. “You really have thought about this.”

“You have no idea.” Jared grinned mischievously. “Wanna go to my room so we can do some of the things I’ve thought about?” 

“Oh, fuck yeah,” Jensen growled into another kiss.

**Author's Note:**

> A huge thank you to my artist, emmatheslayer who was so very patient with me when my life became a dumpster fire for a few weeks. Please go give her some love at this post https://emmatheslayer.livejournal.com/657047.html  
>  I may revisit this these crazy kids in the future.


End file.
